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What are the risk factors for kidney cancer?

We do not yet know exactly what causes kidney cancer, but we do know that certain risk factors are linked to the disease. A risk factor is anything that affects a person’s chance of getting a disease such as cancer. Different cancers have different risk factors. Some risk factors, such as smoking, can be controlled. Others, like a person’s age or family history, can’t be changed.

But having a risk factor, or even several risk factors, does not mean you will get the disease. And some people who get the disease may have few or no known risk factors.

Lifestyle and job-related risk factors

Body weight: A very overweight person has a higher risk of getting kidney cancer.

Job hazards: Exposure to certain chemicals on the job may increase the risk of kidney cancer. Some of these are cadmium (a type of metal), some herbicides, and organic solvents, particularly trichloroethylene.

Inherited risk factors

Kidney cancer can be caused by some rare inherited conditions such as those listed below. People who have these conditions have a much higher risk for getting kidney cancer, but they account for only a small portion of kidney cancers overall.

von Hippel-Lindau disease

Hereditary papillary renal cell carcinoma

Hereditary leiomyoma-renal cell carcinoma

Birt-Hogg-Dube syndrome

Hereditary renal oncocytoma

Familial renal cancer

If you know that you have one of these, it is important that you see your doctor often. Some doctors recommend that you have regular imaging tests (such as CT scans).

Other risk factors

Family history: People with family members who have kidney cancer (especially a brother or sister) have a higher chance of getting the disease.

High blood pressure: The risk of kidney cancer is higher in people with high blood pressure.

Certain medicines: A once popular pain-reliever (called phenacetin) has been linked to kidney cancer. But this medicine has not been used in the United States for over 20 years.

Some drugs used to treat high blood pressure have also been linked to kidney cancer. It’s not clear whether the higher risk is caused by the drugs or the high blood pressure. But people who need these drugs should take them.

Advanced kidney disease: People with advanced kidney disease who need to be on dialysis have a higher risk of kidney cancer.

Gender: Kidney cancer is found about twice as often in men as in women..

Race: African Americans and American Indians/Alaska Natives have slightly higher rates of kidney cancer than whites. The reasons for this are not clear.